1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container. More particularly but not exclusively, the invention relates to a container such as a barrel, a can or a drum having a passageway therethrough and a process for manufacturing the container.
2. Prior Art
Many different containers presently exist, and containers such as barrels, cans, drums and the like are well known and widely used in many industries. However, beyond a portable size the manual conveyance of these types of containers creates difficulty since the shape to weight ratio of the containers when filled hampers their maneuverability and special equipment is therefore often required to maneuver them. When rollable, containers such as barrels, drums and cylindrical cans are often conveyed or maneuvered manually by way of rolling the containers. However, a rolling, filled container creates further difficulty in controlling the direction and the pace of the moving container. Thus, many different designs have aimed at improving the maneuverability of these containers, with features such as gripping or holding formations integral with or attachable to the containers.
One such known design comprises a container having a cylindrical body with two opposing substantially flat end surfaces, the end surfaces having shallow blind socket formations projecting inwardly therefrom substantially along the cylindrical axis of the body.
This known container is used in conjunction with a rigid V-shaped handling means having a retainer mechanism in the form of plug formations protruding inwardly from the ends of the two opposing limbs of the V-shaped handling means. The container and handling means combination is used by locating and retaining rotatably the container about its cylindrical axis between the opposing limbs by means of the co-operating plug and socket formations, enabling the container to be maneuvered with the handling means.
A known modification to this design comprises stub elements protruding along the cylindrical axis outwardly from the opposing end surfaces to receive and secure a handling means for retaining and maneuvering the container rotatably about the cylindrical axis. A second known modification to the above design comprises a similar container mounted permanently on an axle extending through the container along the cylindrical axis thereof, the axle pivotably mounted on a handling means.
However, a limitation of the above known container and modified or related designs is the constant need for a suitable handling means without which the container is reduced to a conventional substantially cylindrical container. This known container is further limited in that the need for standing or stacking the container in an upright position and/or handling the container otherwise than by rolling requires the handling means to be detachable from the container or be capable of retaining and/or suspending the container when loaded from the retainer mechanism. The modified and/or related designs are similarly limited, with the designs having integral protruding elements totally incapable of extending and/or stacking.
Also, a further limitation is the top load compression resistance of these containers that is the ability of the containers to withstand large loads such as when filled containers are being stacked on top of each other. Thus, vertical support structures are often essential to provide added strength and increase the top load compression resistance of stacked containers.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a container aimed at overcoming the above limitations or at least to provide a useful and novel alternative to existing containers of the abovementioned type.